PM: Horsemeat retailers 'must find out what happened'

The Prime Minister's spokesman insisted this afternoon there is 'no evidence' of any risk to public health as a result of the horsemeat scandal. He also dismissed suggestions that a change in EU regulations on the use of meat stripped from animal bones had triggered the crisis.

With three days to go before the results of extensive tests on meat products are known, he said that David Cameron believed it was up to retailers and meat suppliers to get to the bottom of what had happened.

At today's Cabinet, ministers apparently expressed their support for the Environment Secretary Owen Paterson's handling of the crisis.